ESTEEM 2015: Looking Forward

It sounds cliché, but as I started this post I was not sure what to write about. As the first post about the new ESTEEM Class of 2015, how could I encompass the diversity that is our class in one short blog post? We are doctors, nuclear engineers, opera singers, dancers, athletes, computer scientists, and chemists, to describe but a few of us. How can one word embody who we are? Indeed, I was at a loss, because there truly is not a simple answer to this question. Instead, I believe that we are unified in our mission to become entrepreneurs. We take risks, are not afraid to be wrong, and go above and beyond, yet as I looked at our class I felt that we could be summarized not in a word, but in an idea, or rather a collection of three simple ones:

Do good. Have fun. Make an impact.

It is the look in someone's eyes when they talk about their thesis. It is the continuous GroupMe messages asking people to go play soccer or see a movie or just hang out. It is the whiteboard meetings where we brainstorm ideas on how we are going to take our class "out of the building." Only a month has passed, but I am inspired by my classmates as well as challenged by them. We constantly work, play, and work some more together, and the bonds are already starting to form. I am astounded by the sheer camaraderie my new friends have shown each other in this short time. We embody these goals without needing to articulate them, yet I feel once we do, the sky is the limit. Honestly, I am glad and honored to be counted as a part of this class.

Do good. Have fun. Make an impact.

At the end of the day, I challenge both our class and you, the reader, to take these three goals and make them your own. Make them a part of your everyday routine, in the little things. We at ESTEEM are seeking to become more than just good businesspeople, we are striving to improve as more complete people, conscious of the world around us. We hope to grow, to change, to do. This is more than a call to action. It is a call to excellence, and we are more than up to the challenge.